The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 03, 1996
Filed:
Jan. 30, 1995
Kenneth E Daggett, Murrysville, PA (US);
Albert W Crew, Murrysville, PA (US);
James M Mussler, Bethel Park, PA (US);
Northrop Grumman Corporation, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and method for media access control of a first node in a network on a powerline communication medium. The apparatus includes a priority controller for providing a transmit authorization signal. The authorization signal can be responsive to a unique priority of the first node in relation to other nodes in the network, with the priority controller receiving the node's priority from a node network controller in the first node. The apparatus includes an access controller for receiving the transmit authorization signal and, in response, communicating a transmit request signal to the node network controller. The apparatus also includes an arbitration controller for preventing the node from transmitting to the network until a predetermined number of other nodes have been allowed to precedentially access the network. The arbitration controller responds to the priority controller, and sends a transmit inhibition signal to the access controller, inhibiting node transmission irrespective of the authorization signal. The invention also provides a method for communication by a first node in a network having a plurality of nodes, including the steps of sensing a powerline communication medium for the presence of a carrier signal by the first node; inhibiting transmitting by the first node to the network if the presence of the carrier signal is sensed; and transmitting at least one data packet, if the carrier signal is not sensed on the network and the current priority period corresponds with a first predetermined priority period.